April 2010 Weddings
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Pregnant Mommas
Hi girls!
Just wondering, any of you hire a Doula? Midwife? Any one going for a home birth? Natural birth?
I went through a obgyn but hired a Doula and I thought it was a great decision. Just wondering what all y'all are doing! 
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Re: Pregnant Mommas
Well I'm not pregnant yet, but DH and I have talked about a birthing plan. Watching "The Business of Being Born" changed my life and my perspective on having children in a hospital setting. Being a birth documentary Photographer, also, has changed my perception because of what I've seen happen to women when they're in such a vulnerable position. DH, though, does not feel comfortable with me having our baby at home. The "what ifs" are at the forefront of his mind, and I respect that. We've compromised on me delivering in a midwife center or birthing facility with the assistance of a midwife. But DH knows that I don't want anyone's hands on me except for him - and I have certain preferences on the delivery of the placenta, the removal of the vernix and the shots and ointments that are used on a baby immediately following delivery. So...so long as no one tries to get me to do something I don't want to do (with the exception of a true emergency, in which I'll totally be on board, since I'm not a maniac and would never intentionally put my child in danger) we'll be just fine...
...otherwise you might find me laboring behind a tree in the woods.
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I looked into hiring a doula but changed my mind because I don't know that I'd feel completely comfortable around a stranger.
I have been doing the Hypnobabies home study course and have found it to help. I haven't been completely religious at doing it like it says so it'll be interesting to see how well it works. I hope to do most of the "laboring" at home so I'm not tied to a hospital bed.
I am planning for a complete med free (if possible) hospital birth. I'm a firm believer in that if my mom and sister did it and women centuries ago did it without meds, I can too.
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I'm doing the run-of-mill hospital birth plan with epi and all. I know my pain tolerance levels and the history of big babies that I married into. I just want to be as comfortable as possible and avoid a c-section if at all possible. My doc is on board with this plan and she said she'll do everything to help me and she will not let me try to push out a huge baby. She might schedule and induction just to avoid that, but I hope to go into labor naturally.
I also only plan on having DH in the delivery room with me. Strangers make me uncomfortable and H can usually tell if I feel like crap before I do! He's got an amazing 6th sense with me and he knows exactly how to calm me down and what I need.
Yeah, so far here planning on hospital w/ drugs. call me a baby but i have no desire to be in pain or rather to be in more pain than need be if it can be alleviated at all. i'm so not your enthusiastic pregnant lady who loves this time of her life. total opposite. i'm happy i am having a baby and get to have Sami be a father, but totally wish this had been one and done (aka twins).
we are planning on having some alone time as well once baby is delivered. aka no parents or visitors for a lil while so we can bond... and choose a name... etc.
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Like Liz, I'm going with an epi/hospital/OB delivery. I respect those who go natural, but know it's not for me, especially after having gone through painful IVF procedures just to get here. I am going to try to avoid an induction and c-section as much as possible, but seeing as how I'm due 2 weeks before my 39th bday - I guess we'll see how that goes as I have different health concerns at this age. It seems like all of my friends who've delivered lately needed a c-section for one (legit) reason or another but I REALLY hope I can avoid one. I'm even seeing a chiro who knows the Webster technique to avoid having a breech baby.
I looked into doulas since that seems like a nice idea, but they cost $1000-$1500 in my area and we can't swing that. Plus, my mom will be in the room with me the whole time along with DH.
I think my main concern is that I am successful with breastfeeding. I have my childbirth class next week as well as a breastfeeding class in March and I want to find out more about skin on skin and anything else that can help with nursing.
Hospital w/ drugs. My doctor is seriously amazing. I have had many people tell me she is the most incredibly calming person during delivery. A few friends have had her deliver in an emergency because their doctor couldn't make it, and they had wished she was with them from the beginning. She also did my endometriosis surgery a couple years ago, and Jeff and I just love her!
I also know my pain tolerance, and I was seriously dry-heaving and puking from a tattoo...so I know I would be honestly physically ill with that type of pain, and it causes my heart rate to sky rocket when I am like that.
Jeff will be in the delivery room with me, but my middle sister Jen will probably in my labor room until it is time to push. She and I are VERY close. I will probably have my parents come up whenever they want and a few select friends. Everyone else will have to wait at least a few hours or so.